Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-06-29
A PIONEER PREACHER.
Experiences OF q Faithful N'n'ster WI
Turned Bar-ROom Counters Into Pu

Experiences OF q Faithful Minlster Who
Turned Bar-ROom Counters Into Pull
pits
Gao OF the ablest AMI most eloquent pull
pit orators in California, SAWS the Sacrs-
mento Bee. is Rev. DIR. J. e. Simmons, pas
tor OF the NJ. z. Church South at Chico.
On recent Sunday evening in that city
he preached his thirty-fiftA anniversary
sermon, telling at lcngth the story OF his
work in the vineyard Of the Pacific coast.
DR.. Simmons is man of much ability,
who has pro iuced a number OF able works
in relation 10 religious subjects He has
n clear, ringing voice, and possesses the
power of holding his audiences. At times
his hearers are highly amused, and again
they are in telrs AS public speaker he
has but few equals. He is man Of fine
appearance, and his hair and beard are as
white as snow.
He is the son Of an honorel Methodist
preacher OF the Georgia Conference, and
was born in Butts County, Georgia, in
1877. He graduated from Emory College,
at Oxford, Ga, in 1873, and was or
dained TO preach a few days after receiv-
ing his diploma. In 1852 he was sent as a
missionary to California, reaching San
Francisco in February of that year.
The doctor relates that the first objects
that at racte1 his attention upon stepping
from the ship were the immense gambling
saloons, brilliantly lighted and crowded
with men, with here and there q woman
seated at a table experimenting a game.
Great piles Of gold lay in the utmost pro-
fusion on the tables. Shrewd and we'll
dressed gamesters were on hand to fleece
the roughly-drcssed miners, large num-
be-s Of whom were on hand stalking and
losing their treasures on the turn of
card. He az once concluded that here was
n field that needed religious influence, and
lie longed 10 be at work.
He was present and assisted in the or
gaulzation Of the Pacific Annual Confer
e1ce of the NJ. L. Church, South, in April
1852, and is the only remaining me mber of
that first conference in California The
doctor was sent TO perform his first work
ia the mines. His first sermon in Cali.
fornia was preached in Sacramento, where
nc stopped one day while on his way to
Grass Valley.
He had a rough experience from the day
he left Sacramento but he stood up brave
". As he left this city he was home3ick,
but his thoughts we're soon absorbed,
while rolling along in the old stage coach,
in admrng the lovely Sacramento valley,
which was not gemmcd, as now, with fine
farm houses, vineyards, orchards and
gardens, but one wide, flower spangled
plain. As he arrived in Nevada
City at night snow was falling rapidly.
The crooked streets were crowded
with miners and the gambling halls were
wide opel. The parsonage" whore he was
20 stop was n rough shed made or Shakes"
blilt to the end Of the church, which was
constructed of the same material. II was
rather hard 10 turn into such building,
where the rude blasts of the Sierras could
sweep through. But that was the style OF
buildings all over the town. The preacher
opened his commission ut Grass V alley on
the Sunday following his arrival at the
mines. The "church" con sis ted Of nothing
but the framework, and DIR. Simmons set
TO work and completed il with his own
hands. HIS congrc CATIONS consisted mostly
OF men, and few Of them at that IL hall
n dozen ladies were present it was con-
sidsrcd wonderful 1t was desperate
work trying to convert men who had gone
into the mines, tasted of the gold excite
ment, cast of all restraint and plum ged
rccklessly into a=y ald every thing that
came along. And yet, some Of the widest
of the men had themselves been preachers
and professors ''back in the States"
The doctor travelled from mine to m inc
on foot, and he was acquainted with every
Coll-huntcr for miles around. He ate
with them, slept with them at night, but
them on Sundays, attended to them in
sickness and buried their dad. He
preached under trees, in cabins, in
saloons, teu-pin alleys and gambling
halls. On many occasions he would stand
in n saloon behind bar, which he
would use for pulpit, while his con-
cregation OF miners, all heavily armed
with pistols and knives, would sit on the
whisky barrels while he urged them to
''buy gold tried in tho fire, that they
might be rich" During these discourses
he ,wou.d frequently be interrupted by
some drunk or ''holy terror" who would
swagger up to the bar AMI growl out:
''Sny, parson, won't you give us q drinkT"
Such intrusions usually ended by couple
OF miners grabbing up the offender and
throwing him out the door, and giving a
significant warning by tapping their pis-
tolls that he had better not repeat the
trick. Just as soon as the preacher would
end his discourse the bartender would
quickly take his place behind the bar, and
in few minutes would be heard the rat
tie aud jingle of glasses.
During his visit to French Corral, then
one Of the livsliest camps in the mount
aims, Dr. Simmons used to preach his SER
mons in a great gambling-hall, standing
upon one OF the gaming tables. Before
the sermon would DC en1e1 some sport
would take his hat and go through the
crowd, remarl,ing: "Boys, the parson
can't afford to do all that talking for moth
ing, so you'd better ante a piece" Tho
''ante' was always large
After leaving the mines, the doctor was
stationed at Stockton, San jose and Sac
rameuto, respectively, being in this city
in 1862 during the big food. Since then
he has been located in San Francisco aud
other important places. He has preached
nearly five thousand sermons, besides de-
livcring mum berlcss lectures and speeches,
without a single years rest.
Although well along in years, the pio-
Deer preacher is in the best Of health, and
will doubtless be spared for many more
years TO perform his work. He is known
from one end OF the State to the other,
and IS universally likel